


Out of the Rain

by flowerfan



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Communication, Cuddles, M/M, Reaction fic to Junior Year #10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 05:11:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8150215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerfan/pseuds/flowerfan
Summary: They’re a team, but they still need to work out the next play.Reaction fic to Junior Year Part #10





	

Bitty really hopes no one hears them making their way upstairs – he’s not sure what he’ll say if Chowder wanders out into the hallway right now. He still can’t quite get his head around the fact that Jack is here, in the Haus, and apparently about to spend the night in his bed, without any reason (manufactured or otherwise) other than wanting to see him.

Jack closes the door carefully behind them and slides the lock, then turns and looks at Bitty. He’s still got that nervous expression on his face, and it hurts Bitty’s heart. Bitty folds himself against Jack’s chest again, not caring about how damp his shirt is getting. It feels too good to have Jack’s arms around him, to bury his face in Jack’s neck and breathe him in.

“Sorry, I’m sorry,” he says after a minute, pulling back and looking up at Jack. “I said you could dry off, and here I am standing in your way.”

“You’re never in my way,” Jack says softly. “And I thought you said that _you_ would dry me off.

Bitty’s jaw drops and a hand flies to his mouth. “Mr. Zimmermann, what are you implying?”

Jack grabs Bitty back into a hug again, and nuzzles at his hair. “Nothing. Just chirping you, eh?”

Bitty sighs, and feels some of the tension of his long day – and night – begin to seep out of him. “Fine. But you do need to change out of those wet clothes, or you’ll get sick.”

Jack nods and follows Bitty to his dresser. They dig out the clothes Jack slept in last time he visited, and conveniently forgot to bring home. Jack quickly sheds his suit coat and shirt, laying them over Bitty’s desk chair to dry, and pulls on the Samwell t-shirt. He unbuckles his belt and steps out of his pants, tugs off his socks, and then sits down on the bed. Bitty watches it all, marveling at the beauty of this man who is here for him - who loves him. He’s too sleepy to even pretend he’s not enjoying the show.

Jack slides under the covers and holds them up for Bitty. “Come on, it’s time for bed.”

“Understatement of the century,” Bitty replies. He hesitates just a moment, and then Jack is reaching for him, pulling him close against his chest. “You’re cold, honey,” Bitty murmurs, pressing his body against Jack’s from head to toe.

Jack turns a little to face him, and Bitty hooks an ankle over his calf, rubbing his toes at the wiry hair there. “Bits, what I said before… I think we need to tell people. At least some people.”

Bitty’s stomach drops and he shakes his head. He thought they were done with this conversation. “No. No. It’s too risky for you.”

Jack runs his hand through Bitty’s hair and cups his cheek. “But there has to be a balance. You need something too. Support. Someone to talk to.”

“I have you. As you so aptly demonstrated tonight.” Bitty can hear the pout in his words, but he can’t help himself. 

“I’m not always here. And it isn’t fair for you to feel so alone all the time.”

“It’s really not that big a deal, today was just a bad day.” Bitty can feel the tears welling in his eyes again, and he swallows hard. “Really, I’m okay.”

“You’re not.” Jack sighs. He runs his hand down Bitty’s arm and takes his hand. “If you were okay, you never would have told me what you did tonight.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“No, you did the right thing. You have to tell me, Bits. I want to know how you’re feeling. Especially if you’re hurting.”

Bitty lets go of Jack’s hand to wipe his eyes, and then presses his face against Jack’s chest. “This is hard.”

“I know.”

“I’m scared to tell people.”

“I know,” Jack says calmly.

“Why aren’t you scared?”

Jack pushes up on an elbow and finds Bitty’s eyes. “I am scared, Bits. But… I’m more scared of losing you.”

“That’s not gonna happen-”

“Maybe not today. But you can’t go on feeling like this. It’s not good for us.”

“Us, huh?”

“Yeah. Us.” 

Bitty is sure he’s never felt this happy and this worried all at the same time. Jack drove out to see him because they’re a team, they’re an “us,” and he wants to protect what they have. Him and Jack, together. 

“So there’s no chance you’ll just forget about this whole conversation?”

Jack laughs softly, lying back down and gazing up at Bitty. “I can delete that phone message, but I can’t delete the rest of it, Bits. It’s important.”

“Did you listen to the message?” Bitty asks softly, suddenly feeling shy.

“No, of course not. You asked me not to.”

“Oh, you,” Bitty says fondly, and leans down to press a kiss to Jack’s lips. Jack turns to hold him, one large hand resting on Bitty’s lower back and tugging him close. They kiss slowly, softly, the pull of sleep battling with the pleasure of being together. Bitty feels himself drifting off, and then Jack shifts, adjusting the blankets around them and lying back so Bitty can curl up on his chest.

“Wait… Jack?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s our plan?”

“Plan?”

Bitty suddenly isn’t quite as sleepy, as a rush of nervousness shoots through him. “For tomorrow morning? What are we going to tell everyone? Why are you here? They know about your away game last night, they’re going to want to know what’s going on, there isn’t a party or an excuse – or are we just going to tell them? All of them? You don’t even know some of the new tadpoles. Should we figure out-”

Jack stills his mouth with a kiss, but Bitty isn’t going to be so easily swayed. “Really, Jack. We need a plan.”

“But I’m so tired. And you’re so cozy,” Jack whispers, kissing Bitty’s neck and then resting his head there. “Any plan we come up with now will be crap anyway.”

“So, what, we just wing it?”

Jack sighs, his breath warm on Bitty’s skin. “I don’t have to be back tomorrow until just after lunch, and you don’t have class until eleven. You get up first and see who’s around, and try to get a hold of Lardo, and Shitty, if he’s still here.”

“He’s still here.”

“Good. We tell them, and see how it goes. And then we can all go to Annie’s for coffee.”

Bitty leaves for later his excitement at the idea of a double date at Annie’s and tries to focus on the matter at hand. “What if Chowder or someone else asks why you’re here?”

“I don’t know, Bits, tell them you were stressed out, so your old captain came to talk to you. Or tell them I was stressed out, and wanted to spend a little time with you.”

“Seems like a shaky plan.”

“We can come up with something better in the morning. Something truthful.”

“Truthful?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that what’s hurting you? Lying?”

“But then… I’m not sure, Jack. I don’t want to tell the whole team. I don’t need to.”

“All right, well, the important part is we let Shitty and Lardo know. So you can talk to them.” Jack scrubs at his face, and then finds Bitty’s eyes. “If that’s okay with you?”

Bitty lets himself think about how the past few weeks would have been different, if he could have confided in Lardo as they watched the Aces game, if Shitty understood why he dropped the pie. “Yeah. Okay. It’s okay.”

It’s nearly six by the time they fall asleep, and Bitty is up again at eight, unable to stop thinking about what the day might bring. Jack is apparently less concerned, leaning over Bitty and nuzzling along his chin, sucking kisses on his neck, and pushing up his shirt to get to his chest. When Jack continues moving south without showing any signs of stopping, Bitty puts all worries aside. They’ll face the day together. They’re a team. And so far, he thinks, they’re having a pretty good season.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr.](http://flowerfan2.tumblr.com)


End file.
